Box Score
MADISON, Wis. - The Edgewood College women's soccer team is unaccustomed to waiting until the third league game of the season to pick up their first win. Saturday, they made sure they wouldn't wait for a fourth game. The Eagles got two goals from Abby Moder and one from Janna Yost to down Benedictine University 3-1 on a beautiful day at Breese Stevens Field.
As they did in their previous game against Concordia University Wisconsin, Edgewood College wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. Clare Schumacher drew the defense to her at the top of the penalty arc and slipped a pass to Yost. The sophomore midfielder took one touch and buried the Eagles' first shot of the game into the lower right corner just 1:55 after kickoff.
Although Edgewood College (2-2-1, 1-1-1 NAC) controlled more of the action, it was the Eagles from Benedictine University that tallied next. In the 26th minute, Nicole Esposito beat her defender off the dribble and lofted a well-placed shot over the head of Edgewood College goalkeeper Ilana Bar-av for the equalizer.
The Eagles responded just six minutes later, when Moder took a short drop pass from Christina Senn and caught sight of Benedictine goalkeeper Melissa Hernandez off her line. Moder long floating chip snuck under the crossbar and gave the home team a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
Despite being outshot 21-7, Benedictine University (1-5, 1-2 NAC) had a golden chance to tie the game in the 60th minute. Alyssa Rubio fired a shot from 12 yards that grazed an Edgewood College defender and struck the right goalpost. Defender Brittany Drewiske of Edgewood College was able to clear the ball away.
Edgewood College worked hard for an insurance goal and nearly had one in the 58th when Moder found room 1-on-1 with a defender and managed to get off a pair of shots, but Hernandez rejected them both. Kelsey Beck had a breakaway three minutes later, but her shot just missed outside the left post.
The Eagles finally notched their third goal in the 70th minute with some great passing. Schumacher and Tammi Hagensick worked a perfect give-and-go up the right sideline, which freed Schumacher to find Moder streaking to the front of the net. Moder controlled Schumacher's pass and beat Hernandez from five yards out for her seventh goal of the season.
Bar-av finished with four saves in the game, while Hernandez had a busy day with 11.
Edgewood College will step out of league play tomorrow for a non-conference match against Lawrence University at 12:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the web at EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com/livevideo.
